C++: 2D Game Engine Construction

University Year 2 | Games Engine Construction

A highly flexible 2D game engine built from scratch using C++ and SFML. This project focuses on core engine architecture, modular asset management, and the implementation of robust design patterns for real-time simulation.

🔗 View the full technical breakdown on my Portfolio

📺 Development Showcase

Out of date demo video showcasing sprite animation, observer-based input, and ImGui debug integration.

🕹️ Engine Architecture Overview

This engine was designed to enforce a strict separation of concerns, moving away from monolithic codebases toward an encapsulated system where rendering, logic, and input are handled by dedicated managers.

🛠️ Key Technical Features

Core Systems & Architecture

• Decoupled Engine Architecture: Enforced a strict separation of concerns by isolating Simulation (Physics/Logic) from Graphics (Rendering), ensuring thread-safe development and modularity.
• Fixed-Timestep Game Loop: Engineered a core loop utilising an accumulator-based fixed timestep to guarantee deterministic physics and consistent game speed across variable hardware and frame rates.
• Data-Driven Level Parser: Implemented an external level-loading pipeline that parses .txt configuration files to dynamically instantiate world geometry and entities, allowing for rapid iteration without source-code modification.
• Modern Memory Management: Utilised a polymorphic entity hierarchy managed through Smart Pointers (std::unique_ptr), employing an "Ownership vs. Observation" strategy to balance memory safety with high-performance access.

Advanced Simulation & Tooling

• Custom Axis-Separated Physics: Developed a custom AABB collision solver with independent horizontal and vertical resolution to prevent "diagonal sticking." Includes gravity simulation and precise "grounded" state detection.
• Object-Pooled Gameplay Systems: Engineered a centralised Object Pool for projectiles to minimise heap fragmentation and allocation overhead during real-time combat simulation.
• Observer Pattern Input: Utilised the Observer Pattern to broadcast action vectors, enabling decoupled, simultaneous handling of complex movement and action states.
• ImGui Debug Suite: Integrated a professional developer overlay for real-time monitoring of velocity vectors, physics bounds, and entity states, facilitating rapid debugging of the simulation environment.

💻 Technical Specs

• Language: C++
• Graphics Library: SFML
• UI/Debug: ImGui
• Methodology: OOP, Singleton/Observer Design Patterns